I did everything you noted above mid-September. Seemed to work well in some areas, but unfortunately the areas that needed it the most, the darn birds ate all of the seed, so now left with a bunch of bare dirt spots out front. Put down some more a week and a half ago and did a better job covering it with dirt and hoping for the best, but it was a last ditch effort and may have been too late. Will re-evaluate in the Spring.